For the first time, NASA has recorded and transmitted a space shuttle launch digitally, according to a release from Force Inc., the company that provided the space agency with its digital video transmission links.

Cameras at the transmission center recorded the activity on the launch pad. After video and audio sources were transmitted into a multiplexer, the resulting signal traveled to Force's transmitter, where it was converted into an optical signal that, in turn, was transmitted to NASA headquarters and the VIP center. The only digital-to-analog conversion took place at the site of the television monitor.